


my beautiful rescue

by taibhsearachd



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Nomad: Girl Without a World, Spider-Girl, Young Allies (Marvel)
Genre: Character of Color, Dancing, Episode Tag, Established Relationship, F/F, Female Character of Color, Groping, POV Female Character, POV Third Person, Past Tense, Prom, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-26
Updated: 2012-09-26
Packaged: 2017-11-15 02:25:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/522138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taibhsearachd/pseuds/taibhsearachd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Heading home from superhero prom, Rikki and Anya pause to make up for a missed opportunity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	my beautiful rescue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ruffboi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruffboi/gifts).



> Set just post-Avengers Academy #13. Actually reading the issue is not required, though encouraged, because it's pretty adorable.

"I still can't believe..." Rikki muttered darkly as she dropped onto a dark roof in Midtown, Anya close on her heels. "You'd think any idiot would figure superhero prom is not exactly the ideal place to get handsy, you know?"

"You should have told me." She skidded to a halt on the roof before Rikki could bound on to the next, and pulled her mask up to her forehead so she could give her a pout – either disapproving or disappointed, Rikki wasn't sure. Either way, it was enough to stop her. "I could've–"

"Defended my honor?" she asked with a grin.

"Well... _yeah_! Someone grabs your butt, isn't it sort of my job to punch them?"

Rikki swallowed a laugh and shook her head, reaching up to push her goggles up on her forehead. "I had it under control. And anyway... you seemed busy."

Anya narrowed her eyes, hands on her hips as she gave Rikki a level glare. "Yeah, 'cause dealing with a sixteen-year-old's midlife crisis is so much more important than some guy groping my girlfriend."

"Wait... what?"

She waved a hand dismissively. "Never mind, that's not..." She trailed off for a moment, and then shifted her weight, her voice dropping a little as she sighed, "That's not the _point_."

Rikki watched her for a long moment, studying the hint of a pout and the slightly hunched shoulders as Anya tried to hide that she was almost - _almost_ \- sulking. Her amused grin softened a little, and she stepped forward, grabbing Anya's elbow and tugging her toward her until she could settle her hands on her waist.

"Tell you what? Next time some superpowered jerk gropes me, I'll call you over and make sure you get the first punch."

Anya laughed, the pout slipping into a grin of her own.

" _Good_ ," she said, trying for a stern look. Rikki didn't find it so much stern as adorable, but rather than tell her that, she leaned in to rest her forehead against Anya's - unfortunately forgetting she still had her goggles pushed up onto her forehead.

"Ow!" Anya protested as the goggles bonked her just above the eye, and Rikki winced and jerked back, reaching up with one hand to whip them off her head before she leaned in again.

"Sorry. Forgot about that." She paused, goggles dangling from her fingers as she settled her hand back on Anya's hip, and smiled wryly as she set her forehead carefully back against Anya's, this time without any incidents. "We're not exactly winning at romance tonight, are we?"

"It wasn't exactly a date," Anya pointed out, clearly amused.

"It was prom."

"Yeah, but... not _ours_."

"True. I just feel bad, you know? Not that it wasn't fun, Mr. Boundary Issues aside, but I barely talked to you all night, and..." She bit her lip, trying to think of the right way to phrase what she wanted to say, and finally just blurted out, "It's not that I want to keep us a secret. That's not... I don't mind people knowing."

"Rikki–"

"It's just people around me, they get hurt, and I know I'm being paranoid, I _know_ , it's not like either of us have... archenemies or anything, but I just feel better – safer – if we're just partners as far as anyone knows, because if something happened–"

" _Rikki_." She finally stopped, and pulled back just enough to meet Anya's eyes. Anya, who... looked like she was trying not to laugh. "We've had this conversation, like, five times already. It's okay."

Rikki blinked a few times, and smiled a little sheepishly. Okay, Anya definitely had a point, but...

She ducked her head, staring at their feet for a moment before she said, "I wish I'd asked you to dance."

"Because you trust me not to grope you without asking?"

Rikki snorted and nodded, looking up again. "Among other things, yeah."

"Well... the night's not over yet," Anya pointed out slowly.

"We're on a rooftop."

"So?" Anya grinned. "We spend half our lives on rooftops, in case you hadn't noticed."

"And there's no music."

"And?" Her smile took on a hint of challenge as she cocked her head to one side. "What's the matter, Nomad, you afraid to ask a girl to dance or something?"

"Well, it's not like I've ever–" Rikki took a breath, and then laughed softly and tossed her goggles lightly aside. "Araña, will you dance with me?"

Without a moment's pause, Anya settled her arms around Rikki's shoulders and leaned in to press a light kiss against her lips. "I've been waiting all night."

Rikki led, her hands on Anya's hips, her steps smooth and graceful like it hadn't been years since the last time she had a ballroom dance lesson. Anya followed, her eyes on Rikki's face except when she tripped and, laughing, looked down at their feet, and she held herself so close that Rikki ended up stumbling a few times too, a little breathless. Before long, she forgot that there wasn't any music; the rattle of traffic and the wail of horns on the street far below, the hum and pulse of the city, and Anya's bright laugh was all the music they could need.


End file.
